Her Kind of Hero Page 13

  “There’s something else. An opening has come up for a junior partner.”

  She froze.

  “You should know that two names have been put forward. Yours and Ken Patel’s.”

  She immediately turned away, hiding her face. Her father knew she’d been dreaming about a junior partnership. “I’ll be in next Monday for sure,” she said as she left the room.

  He’d looked so concerned when he was talking about her involvement with the camp that she was tempted to explain exactly what was going on. But telling him about Matt and how exactly she ended up at the camp would mean going back to that day, something she’d sworn she’d never do. If she broke that promise to herself, then it would all have to come out. The years of bullying in high school, the loneliness, the questions about her mother, the nighttime crying jags. I can’t do it.

  Later that day, she got a text from Matt, but it was just a message to all counselors and volunteers to meet at the camp at four on Friday, an hour before the kids were to arrive. If she were lucky, Matt’s mood would improve by then and the weekend wouldn’t be as unappealing as it seemed right now. She was determined to honor her commitment, despite his peculiar mood that morning.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  PEOPLE WERE STILL arriving as Dana walked along the lodge’s hall to the meeting. She waved to Gayle and June, who were carrying bins of supplies through the dining hall into the kitchen, and exchanged a smile and hello with Rob, the swim instructor. Kristen was placing the folders and handouts around the table when Dana entered the room.

  “Hi, Dana. Great job on these counselor packages! I love the colors.”

  “Oh, thanks, Kristen, but I think Maria planned the color coding. I just noticed what she had and went with it.”

  “Well, good idea. Here, can you do the other side of the table?” She handed Dana some folders.

  They worked silently until Kristen suddenly asked, “Is Matt here?”

  “No idea.”

  “You didn’t come with him?”

  “No.”

  Kristen shrugged. “Oh. Just wondered.” Then, breaking the awkward moment, she added, “Okay, guess we’re finished here. I’m going to see if Gayle and June need any help in the kitchen. How about you?”

  “Maybe I’ll take my backpack to the girls’ cabin.”

  “Sure. I’ve already got my stuff there. I took the cot by the window. Hope that’s okay.”

  Dana stared blankly from across the table. She’d forgotten that there’d be a second nighttime supervisor. The first challenge of the weekend.

  By the time she’d unpacked and returned to the lodge, everyone was milling about in the meeting room, chatting. Most seemed to know each other, perhaps from the past summer, but a young man and woman stood by themselves in the background. Newcomers, Dana figured, and almost felt like an old-timer.

  Matt’s arrival and “Hi, folks!” brought the talk to an end. He stood in the doorway, scanning the room to see if all were present. His eyes fell briefly on her and he smiled. The simple expression was enough to ease some of her regret about the way they’d parted at the coffee shop the other day.

  He introduced the new people—Tony, who had experience working with special needs children and Cathy, who was helping in the kitchen. “This weekend’s group of kids is more diverse than the last, reflecting the range of backgrounds we’ll have all summer,” he said, “and the age range for the group is nine to eleven, though most of the kids are ten. You may see some kids who came last weekend, because we wanted to fill all the spaces and there were some special requests.”

  He paused, changing his tone. “I was late today because there was a small problem with a couple of the boys at the drop-in, where the buses were waiting. I won’t go into it now but would like to meet briefly with the boys’ night supervisors—Tony and Andy—after I finish up here. Fortunately, the girls are a cohesive bunch and I don’t anticipate any issues with them.” He glanced over at Kristen and Dana. “Okay, so let’s walk through the handouts that Dana here has put together for us.”

  Dana gave a quick smile as all eyes turned her way. Matt continued his account of the weekend’s events, but Dana’s attention was elsewhere—his voice, authoritative and warm at the same time; sharing the supervision with Kristen, who’d seemed negative about her in the beginning; the Evergreen file, which she’d skimmed through before leaving work and would be awaiting her when the weekend was over. That last thought made her think of her father. She knew that he was concerned about the work she’d missed, especially now that there was a promotion on the line.

  Dana hadn’t paid attention to Matt’s final remarks, and as people began to gather their handouts and leave, he came around the table to where she was sitting.

  “All set?” he asked, drawing close enough that she could detect the spicy scent of aftershave.

  She took a deep breath to clear her head. “I think so. Yes, more than last time,” she added with a small laugh.

  “Good. It should all be easier this time around, even with the greater numbers.” He kept his eyes on hers a second longer, then checked his watch. “I’m glad you came,” he murmured. “I wasn’t certain you would, after our coffee meeting.” Then he turned away to meet with Andy and Tony, who were waiting in the hallway.

  Dana picked up her information package and walked out of the lodge just as the buses pulled into the parking area. There was the usual confusion at first, getting the disembarking kids into groups and sorting out luggage. Dana caught sight of Lucy, the shy girl from last weekend, and waved. She noticed the boys were a bit unruly. Two of them began to run toward the cabins until Sandro’s whistle blast brought them back. In the time that she and Kristen were gathering together all the girls, their bags and backpacks, and guiding them to the cabin, Andy and Tony were still taking attendance.

  “Do you want to take half the girls to the washroom for a cleanup before supper?” Kristen asked after they finished their brief orientation with the girls.

  Hands waved to be chosen in the first group but this time around, Dana wasn’t distracted by them or the few who called, “Me! Me!” She pointed to the ones sitting more quietly, including Lucy.

  By the time supper was finished, Dana felt in complete control. Working with Kristen was going to be okay, she decided. They both seemed to agree on organizing and sharing the tasks and had established a good routine by lights-out. Whatever problem the woman had had with her in the beginning seemed to have been resolved. The weekend was looking better than she’d expected.

  Dana was on her way back from the girls’ washroom at bedtime when a figure emerged from the shadows of the boys’ cabin. She stopped, wishing she’d thought to bring a flashlight with her. As the shape drew closer, her heart rate picked up. “Yes? Can I help you?” she asked, her voice stronger than her confidence.

  “Dana?” A flashlight suddenly hit her face and she raised a hand to shield her eyes.

  “Matt?”

  The light went out. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m a bit on edge.”

  “What’s up?”

  “Two boys have gone missing.”

  “Oh no!”

  “Is everyone accounted for in your cabin?” He moved closer, his breath puffing gently onto her cheek as he spoke. His nearness caused her to shiver and her first thought, inappropriate she realized, was the memory of that lakeside kiss.

  “Yes. The girls are all tucked in.”

  “Good.”

  His breathing was ragged and uneven, as if he’d been running, and it broke the night’s silence. “What will you do?”

  “Sandro’s rounding up some staff to search the grounds.”

  “They’ll turn up,” she said, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. “It’s probably some thoughtless prank.”

  He took a deep breath. “I hope so.” Then he set his hand o
n top of hers.

  They stood like that, in unspoken comfort, for a moment longer. “Thanks, Dana,” he said softly, withdrew his hand and walked back toward the lodge.

  * * *

  MATT WAS EXHAUSTED. They’d found the boys coming up the hill from the lake almost half an hour after their absence had been reported. He, Sandro and Tony had talked long into the night, going over how it had happened. They’d finally agreed that Rob and Sandro would help supervise all the boys during the day and at night, someone would patrol around the cabins until all the kids were asleep.

  As for consequences for the two boys, no agreement had yet to be reached. Sandro wanted to send them home first thing in the morning. They broke one of the cardinal rules...no going down to the lake without adults, he’d said.

  Maybe another chance? Get them on kitchen duty after breakfast? Tony had ventured. Those are the same two who caused a ruckus before boarding the bus, aren’t they? At the drop-in?

  They had been, and that troubled Matt. Kids who misbehaved so early on, when most kids are a bit nervous about their first camping experience, often caused more trouble. He agreed to the kitchen duty but suggested the boys be warned that one more flouting of rules or any misbehavior would result in sending them home. He would also call their parents in the morning, to give them a heads-up about what had happened.

  The kids filing into the dining hall the next morning were subdued and wide-eyed. The nighttime escapade had passed around the whole camp and Matt saw right away that they were expecting him to speak about it. He waited until they had finished eating and just before the kitchen helpers were about to remove dishes, he stood up, raising his right arm to get their attention. The room fell silent as he began.

  “I have a feeling most of you have heard about what happened last night.” He noticed a few sidelong glances toward the two boys. “Usually at Camp Hope we go over the rules the first morning, often while we’re taking our walk around the lake. But I’m going to talk about the rules now, before the day begins and while you are all here, listening. So no one can say later that he or she didn’t know about them.”

  He went through the rules and ended by saying, “The point of Camp Hope is to give all of you a chance to get to know other kids your age, to learn something about nature and the countryside and to have fun. The ‘having fun’ part cannot happen if you put yourself or others in jeopardy—if you break important rules that could cause harm to someone.”

  He scanned the room, letting that sink in. “Okay. The kitchen helpers may go to their duty now and the counselors will escort the rest of you back to your cabins to go over the day’s events. We meet in front of the lodge in fifteen minutes’ time.”

  The kids were a bit chattier as they left, likely because the anticipated lecture had come and gone, Matt figured. The two boys slunk off to the kitchen for their extra duties, and he was on the way to his office to call their parents when Sandro rushed along the hall after him. “Matt!”

  He spun around at the urgent tone.

  “The police are here. They want to talk to you. About some boys.”

  The day had just gotten a whole lot worse. Matt stood still, rubbing the cleft between his eyebrows. “Okay. Can you go around to the cabins and tell the counselors to hold off gathering at the front? I’ll take the police into my office and find out what this is all about. We’ll meet when they’ve gone.”

  “Sure. Anything else?”

  Matt shook his head. “That should do...for now. Don’t say anything to anyone yet.” He watched Sandro dash through the dining hall to take the rear exit out to the sleeping cabins. Then Matt headed for the front door, where two uniformed police officers stood waiting.

  “Officers? I’m Matt Rodriguez, director of Camp Hope. How may I help you?”

  The older of the two shook Matt’s hand and said, “Officer Gordon and this here’s Officer Wright from Willow Springs PD.” He gestured to the younger man at his side. “We’ve received a report of an arson incident at Happy-Go-Lucky campground, down the road.”

  Arson? Matt wasn’t certain what he’d been expecting—rowdy behavior maybe—but not arson. “Let’s go to my office.”

  Half an hour later Matt watched the Willow Springs Police Department cruiser roll down the drive to the main road that would lead to the Happy-Go-Lucky camp. The interview had been short, to his relief. A fire had been purposely set in a storage shed at the campground and a witness had seen two boys running from the beach area toward the hill and Camp Hope. It had been just past dusk, about the time that the Camp Hope boys had disappeared. Matt refrained from telling the police about that incident, knowing he needed to contact the boys’ parents and advise them of the situation. Whatever happened afterward was up to them and the results of the police investigation.

  As soon as the police left, he texted Sandro to have the kids taken to the Big Room in the lodge, where he, Rob and the kitchen staff could supervise while Matt met with the four counselors. Matt would inform the rest of the camp staff later, while the counselors led the kids on their lakeside hike. The two boys would stay with him while he called their parents and arranged transport home for them.

  Whispers of the police arrival had already spread and the four were solemn as they entered his office. “You may have heard that the police have been here about an incident of arson that occurred at the Happy-Go-Lucky camp last night. The damage wasn’t significant but it was enough to get law enforcement involved. Apparently, an unidentified witness claims to have seen two boys running from the area toward Camp Hope.”

  He paused, observing their shock. “I’m clinging to the hope that the person or persons responsible were not our boys, but since they might be the focus of a police inquiry, I have to call their parents to advise them of the situation. We need to remember that these two boys are only eleven years old. I also think they should go home.” He took a breath, trying to calm his nerves. “If there are no questions, I’d like you, Kristen, to stay behind from the hike to meet with me, Sandro and the boys. If their parents are unable to arrange transportation, one of you might need to drive them home. I know you’ll be discreet. And one more thing...I’ve decided to separate the activity groups this weekend. These boys are a bit more lively than the ones last time, so to make the weekend a bit easier for all, Andy and Tony will supervise only the boys during their activities and Kristen and Dana will do the girls.”

  There was subdued talking while they left the room. Matt slumped onto his chair, cradling his forehead with one palm, massaging the throb of a headache.

  “Matt?”

  He looked to the door, where Dana stood watching him.

  She walked tentatively toward the desk. “I’m so sorry. You must be worried sick. Is there anything I can do?”

  “Thanks, Dana, but I guess if everyone tries to keep things as normal as possible, we can get through the weekend without any more drama.” He managed a weak smile. “And yes, I am worried about those boys. They’ll be scared, especially if the police contact them.” Then he added, “I know only too well how that can be.”

  She didn’t speak but reached out and placed her hand on his. He sat quietly, letting the reassurance of her touch course through him, fighting hard not to clasp her hand and bring it to his lips. Or better, to fold her into his arms. This was not the time.

  He slipped his hand out and stood up. “Guess I should go. Sandro and Kristen will be waiting with the boys.”

  She nodded, moving for the door ahead of him, but stopped to say, “I know a lawyer who does pro bono work. I could give him a call, see if he’s interested in representing the boys. If necessary, that is.”

  Matt hesitated. “Maybe you could send me his contact info and if I need to, I can pass it on to the boys’ parents?”

  “Sure. Good luck with the phone calls.”

  Before she walked out the door, Matt grasped her arm. “I’m gla
d you’re here. It...it’s important. To me.”

  She tilted her head and Matt saw the question in her eyes. But the sound of footsteps coming their way made him drop his hand. “Thanks again, Dana.” He watched her leave, realizing that it had been many years since he’d actually told someone they were important to him.

  * * *

  DANA FOLLOWED THE last of the stragglers up the hill. The hike had gone on as usual on the surface, but the kids were quiet throughout. The morning’s news seemed to be on all their minds. The picture Dana carried throughout the hour-long trek was Matt’s face—pale and lined with worry.

  When they reached the front lawn of the lodge, the kids dispersed, breaking up into groups of three or four while they waited for the counselors to dismiss them for a prelunch activity.

  The possible impact of the arson inquiry and its findings on the summer registration—not to mention the lease renewal—troubled her. She remembered Matt’s face when he first told her about Camp Hope, that day she met him at the drop-in, and how she hadn’t understood his enthusiasm at the time. But she got it now.

  She was looking out across the lawn to see if Matt had come out to greet the group when she noticed Sandro’s car was missing from the parking area. He and Kristen were probably driving the boys home. She imagined what that homecoming might be like and felt bad for the kids. Whatever they had done, they were young. They were bound to be frightened. Then she thought about what Matt had said, about a possible police interview and how scared the boys would be. Something about how he knew too well what that felt like.

  Did that mean that he could relate to their fright in general, or that he knew what it was to be afraid of the police. Something to ask him about, she decided, if the right occasion arose. After the morning’s brief scene in his office, when she knew from his eyes that he wanted to draw her close to him, Dana figured that the confusing signals from the coffee meeting and his sudden mood change weren’t the real Matt. The man she’d tried to comfort minutes ago was the Matt she’d imagined her hero to be.